New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-15
HOR1CE GREELEY ON LABOR.


TIMELY WORDS FROM ONE OF THE TRUEsr
FRIENDS OF THE AMERICAN WORKING CLASSES.
From Political Economy" by Horace greeley
If there be those who would array Labor against
Capital, not of them, with them. Ii there
those who regard the OF Labor and OF Capital
as rally properly antagOnstic, do not agree
with them. In using the term Laboring Class" or
Working Men," conform to a usage which has tho
recommendation OF convenience, and hardly another.
In my vew there should be none other than laborer,
save the ntantile, the disabled and the dead and
there not nearly so many non-iaborers as is yul-
carly supposed The rum-seler Is worker, though to
no good end even the gambler eYinces industry,
though to vey bad purpose Ii had the ordering OF
OF some sort in youth worker tor wages Tor some
thing equiya theret0 in early manhood or woman
hood) and every one his or her own employer at
later stage that tae class OF nred workers should
be constantly receiving recruits on one side and dis
missing skilled, experienced persons to enter upon
hraver responsibilities on the other L wonld have
every journeyman realize that ne VIII soon ne an em-
plOy err ever employer remember that he was once
Journey man. his IN son he have) soon will be-
and | believe the influence OF these CONCENTRATIONS
would be salutary all alike. do not like to hear
man boast that he has been hireling these twenty
thirty years, and expects to remain such TIL DEATH
for though it be true that no man should be ashamed
OF a humble position, quality the statement by the
proviso that he has had no fairOpportunty to rise
above it. true man will much prefer to shoulder
hod sweep streets rather than eat the bread OF Idle
and dependence but either political institu
tons are mistakes hale, twO-handed person. who
has not been pulled down by unavoidable misfortune,
should be ashamed that, having bad twenty years
control of his own time and faculties, he si hnds
hod-carrying street-sweeptng the best thing he Is
do myself tor even twenty years, aud could now
find no better employment than the rudest and
coarsest day-labor should accept the situation but
not be inclined to brag of it,
Labor may be so ;wretchedly misapplied as TO pro-
duce wealth at all. The ruins OF ancient capitals
like Tadmor Thebes Palmyra, not capital, and
can be made to yield little wealth; the Pyramids
cost vast amount OF labor, yet have no pecuniary
value the remains OF the Coliseum or OF Pompe have
t,,.lo f,,ilr in thu nfinnf hnfA
prodigafs lavish expenditure no more contributes In
the large view relief of poverty than TO tho
increase of national wealth. The drunken idiot Or
who the street with dollars to be scran-
bled tor by the mob does not beriend-he rather de-
bsuches-hls scuiilng, struggling, shouting follow
ers. | fully INSIST that he who makes and saves,
though already possessed of vast wealth. is greater
beneactor to the poor than though he we're content
to riot spend and squander
And though is first impelled to labor by tho
spur of mater al want the movement outlasts the I'M
pulse in which it originated. The miser tolls, and
schemes and with eye single TO his own pro-
fit ACKNOWLEDGMENT; but commolious public halls,
grand hotels breezy parks, vast libraries noble col
lcges often endowed in his will founded on his
wealth. Whatever the past has bequeathed for our
instruction, civilization, refinement or comfort. VAS
created tor by the saving thrifty provident minor-
ty OF vanished generations, many OF whom were de-
ness and regardless OF other than personal ends.
How many OF those who ippantly disparaged and con-
temned him while he lived have rendered to mankind
such signal abiding service stephen Girard or John
Yet, when poets. philanthropists and divines have
said their worst OF it, the love OF personal acquisition
remains the handspring of most OF the material good
thus tar achieved this rugged, prosalc planet
Colt mbus YEARLY bearing from court to court his
earnest pett,oa to be enabled to discover a new
world, insisted his clam to be made hereditary
Lord High Admiral OF that world, and to 1.-THE Of all
the profits that should flow troh It's acquisition. Tho
great rarely great or the good so good that they
choose to labor and dare entirely tor the beneht VI
others while with this multitude. personal advantage
is the sole Indictment to continuous eXerton. Mans
mar low O eisea
in the general by his consciousness that through
effort and SELF denial lies the way TO comfort and ease
tor his downhl Of lite and more fortunate career
tor his children. Take away the inducements to
industry and thrift afforded by the law which secures
to each the ownership and enjoyment OF his rghtfui
gains and through universal poverty and ignorance.
even Christcndom would rapidly relapse Into utter
barbarism.
Civilization Is founded accumulated capital and
systematic labor. Ii cannot dispense with either.
Though all work diligently and efficiently through
each day yet If they spent as last MS they earned,
civilized society must perish. and human existence
DO main tanned with difficulty. il at all. The bar-room
loaer who DEGREES capital could not survive the next
hard winter without its and he lives through the IN.
clement season that which others more proyidens
have saved and stored against time OF need lie
may may not render an equivalent, but III the ao-
sence capitalists opportunity To make the mdispen-
sable trade would be wanting. There Ia none so poor
wretched that capital earned and owned by others
has not already saved him from perishng OF want, as
it will DO again and again. Capital justly acquired
and wisely employed is every ones friend, smoothing
the ruggedness aud lessenng the discomfort OF even
the most tOrlVln ana haptesS career.
First of Mans material interests, most peryading,
most essential is Labor, the employment OF human
faculties and snews to create, edit &c or shape sriceS
required by his needs tastes. Though Providence
is ben,gnant and Nature bounteUus, SO that IL was
possible in tho infancy Of the race that the few
wants of n handful OF savages nigm. NC ~
grudgngly satisfied from the spontaneous pFoduots OF
the earth and though thin population Of savages
still enabled to subsis on q lew iertiie uopicM
isIands without regular, systematic Neutrality-suspicious.
,unber being kept below the point OF mutual sarva-
tion hy wars, by cannbaiism by mfanticide
and by their un unded rule Is all
bu inc xorable that human existence, even IL depend
ent on human labor To the generally TO smaller
communities and to individuals, God proters the
stern alternative Work or perish ldlers aud profit
gates are constantly dying out, leaving the earth
pcopled mainly by the offspring of the relatively in
dustrlous and frugal Philanthropy NAV drop tear
by their unmarked graves but the idle, thriftiess,
tribes and classes will nevertheless dsap-
pear leaving the earth to those who, by planting as
well by clearing away forests, and by tiiling, irr
eating tertiliziAg and beausfylng the eartn prove
themselves children worthy OF her bounty and her
blessing. Even il all Things were made commoa, and
the idle welcomed to perpetual feast upon tue pro-
ducts of the toll Of the diligent, still the former would
rapidly pass away, leaving few descendants ana tue
children OF the latter would ultimately inherit the
earth.
MR. wATTERsONs PHOTOGRAPH OF Mr. CURTIS
Fro ma LOul spitL Courier Journal.